Buying a used car without checking its history is like hiring someone without looking at their resume. A vehicle history report takes five minutes and can save you from buying a flood-damaged, salvage-titled, or odometer-rolled car. Here's exactly what to do.
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is the unique 17-character code that identifies every car. You need this before you can pull any history. Find it:
Make sure the VIN on the dashboard matches the one on the door jamb — a mismatch is a serious red flag for a stolen or rebuilt vehicle.
The two main providers are Carfax and AutoCheck. Both pull from insurance claims, state DMV records, auction data, and dealer service records. A single report costs around $40–$45, or you can get unlimited reports for ~$60.
Many dealerships offer free Carfax reports on their listings. If buying privately, it's worth paying for one yourself — don't rely on a report the seller provides.
A salvage title means the car was declared a total loss by an insurance company — usually due to a major accident, flood, or theft. A "rebuilt" title means it was repaired and passed a state inspection, but it was still totaled once. These cars are harder to insure and finance, and they're worth significantly less. Approach with caution.
Never buy a flood-damaged car. Electrical and corrosion problems can take years to show up and cost more than the car is worth.
If the reported odometer readings jump backward between records, the mileage has likely been tampered with. This is illegal but still happens in private sales. The vehicle history report will flag inconsistencies if they show up in the reporting data.
If a 3-year-old car has had 4 owners, someone kept selling it quickly. That often means recurring problems that buyers discovered after purchase.
A long gap with no service entries doesn't always mean something's wrong — not all shops report to Carfax. But it's worth asking the seller about maintenance during that period.
Go to nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter the VIN. This shows any open safety recalls that haven't been fixed. Recalls are free to repair at any authorized dealership, but if the previous owner ignored them, you inherit the problem. An open recall isn't a dealbreaker, but confirm the dealer will fix it before or at purchase.
Vehicle history reports are only as good as what gets reported. Private repairs, cash-paid accident fixes, and mechanical issues that were never insured won't show up. That's why a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic ($100–$150) is still essential, even after a clean Carfax.
Once you've checked the history, use our calculator to see if the price is fair.
Used Car Value Calculator →These won't replace a full paid report, but they're a useful starting point before you pay.